True Love Waits
by MTL17
Summary: Demi Lovato is forced to admit her true feelings to Selena Gomez.


Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know Demi Lovato or Selena Gomez. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

*

It had been a mistake. She knew it was a mistake before she made it and everything that followed up to this moment only proved it. She had somehow talked herself into believing it was a good idea, but it wasn't. She should have never have come here. She had to leave.

That's what went through the mind of Selena Gomez as she headed towards the exit.

It had been a mistake. She knew it was a mistake before she made it and everything that followed up to this moment only proved it. She had somehow talked herself into believing it was a good idea, but it wasn't. She should have never agreed to this. She had to get some air.

That's what went through the mind of Demi Lovato as she headed towards the exit.

Unfortunately there was only one exit and both Disney girls headed for it at the same time. The room was so crowded they didn't notice each other as they made virtually the same excuses to mostly the same type of people until their paths crossed. For a microsecond there was a flash of surprise and even a little horror at seeing the other before they automatically smiled at each other, wordlessly agreeing to pose for the cameras before making their exit.

As they walked side by side each considered letting the other go ahead or taking the stairs instead of the elevator but neither one could afford to act so antisocial towards the other. Besides, one of them had come here to talk, and while part of her still thought it was a mistake she couldn't not take the opportunity.

Despite this she remained silent as they got on the elevator together and started heading towards the ground floor.

Selena tried. She really did, but it was like her mouth was glued shut and she couldn't open it. She actually wished it was literally glued shut, but the truth was she was just a coward and because of that coming here was just a waste of time, a mistake.

Demi also wished she was brave enough to say something, but the difference was she was happy not to talk because at least that way she wouldn't say something stupid. In a way the fear of doing that was the reason she was in this situation to begin with.

Just when it seemed both girls had lost the ability to make any sound whatsoever they both let out a startled cry as the elevator screeched to a halt.

For a few seconds nothing happened and then Selena tried pressing one of the buttons. Nothing happened. She tried again and again and again, each time with the same result.

"Elevator's broken." Selena said.

There was a time when Demi would have mocked Selena for stating the obvious, they would have exchanged banter, and they would have laughed. Now Demi said nothing, instead just stood there looking a little understandably worried.

"Relax." Selena said softly, "People are probably working on getting us out already, and if not hey, you're the birthday girl here, so someone should notice that you're missing but you never left the hotel, and when they do they'll get us out of here. I don't even think it's that far to the ground so we'll probably be ok no matter what."

Demi smiled. Selena always did know how to make her feel better, and she was right, people would come looking for her. After all it was her birthday. Her 18th birthday.

She hadn't wanted to make a big deal of it, she was never really that into birthday parties as she hated the idea of vainly celebrating herself, but she also hadn't particularly wanted to spend her 18th birthday alone, so she had been talked into taking a break from her tour for a party. Not a massive event everyone who's anyone had to be at, but not the trip to Wendy's with her band and a few others that she would have originally preferred.

The party itself wasn't that bad and Demi was even beginning to enjoy herself, and then she saw Selena and it was like all of the air had been sucked out of the room.

She knew she had been invited, she couldn't not invite her, but she didn't think she would come. Demi had the courtesy to make up an excuse and not come to Selena's 18th birthday just over a month ago, why couldn't Selena offer her the same courtesy?

This was exactly why she didn't want the party, she was afraid Selena would show up, and when she had Demi knew her instincts had been right, this party had been a mistake and if someone didn't hurry up and rescue her soon something bad was going to happen, so bad it could ruin her entire career.

While Demi was praying for a rescue Selena was again trying to find the ability to speak. Where was Alex Russo when you needed her? If Selena could only tap into a little part of the character she played on her TV show she might actually ask the question she had been wanting to ask for a year now.

She had chickened out so many times it was pathetic. What made her think tonight would be any different she didn't know, but she had come here against her better judgment only to chicken out again. But she couldn't chicken out now. She couldn't possibly get a better chance than this and if she didn't take it she would hate herself forever.

"Demi..." Selena said softly, forcing out the words which had been rattling in her head for so long, "Why aren't we friends anymore?"

Demi blinked, and then gulped.

As far as she was concerned they were still friends. They would always be friends, just not like they were, or like they could ever be again. But how could she tell Selena that without letting slip exactly why that was?

Finally in a slightly high-pitched voice Demi said, "We're... we're still friends."

"No, we're not." Selena said, "That's what we say to keep people off our backs."

There was silence and then Demi said, "It's like you say in interviews, people grow apart."

"Yeah... but that's not the reason we're not friends anymore." Selena said.

"We're still friends." Demi insisted loudly, before her voice softened, "Just... not like we used to be."

"Why not?" Selena asked.

"I told you." Demi said.

"No, you tried to sell me the same tired bull we've been using to brush off the issue." Selena practically yelled, quickly realising this approach wasn't going to get her anywhere but a shouting match so she softened her voice and added, "What happened to us Dem? We used to tell each other everything."

Not everything, Demi thought to herself, before she quietly mumbled, "We... I..."

"Stop trying to think of an excuse." Selena snapped before her voice softened again, "Please Dem, if our friendship ever meant anything to you, just tell me the truth."

In the long pause that followed Demi desperately searched her brain for one of the thousand different excuses she had come up with while obsessing over what would happen if Selena ever confronted her but now the moment was here she couldn't remember a single one and the desire to tell her former best friend the truth was nearly unbearable, just so that it would be finally off her chest, even if it resulted in breaking her heart and possibly even destroying her career in the process.

"Why aren't we friends anymore Dems?" Selena asked again after what felt like an eternity.

With the last of her willpower Demi softly said, "If our friendship ever meant anything to you, please, don't make me answer that."

There was an even longer pause in which Demi's eyes pleaded for mercy and Selena fought herself from giving her former BFF that mercy. When a tear slid down Demi's cheek Selena very nearly gave in but the other girl broke the silence first.

"It was too hard." Demi mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What was too hard?" Selena asked.

"Being your friend." Demi said.

The reply was the most hurtful thing Selena had ever heard because it came from someone she cared about so much.

"Really." Selena said, getting angry, "So what? All that time you were just pretending to like me?"

"No." Demi protested.

"You pretended to care?" Selena spat.

"No!" Demi insisted.

"You pretended..." Selena began.

"NO! NO! NO! You don't get it!" Demi yelled.

"Really, what don't I get Demi?" Selena yelled back.

"It was too hard just being your friend." Demi screamed back, her heavy breathing the only sound which could be heard for a few agonising seconds before she added softly and slowly, "It was just... too hard... just being friends."

There was more silence as Selena stared blankly and Demi began to break down.

"I tried... I tried to tell myself it was enough. For a while I actually believed it. Everything was so perfect anyway, why ruin it? But... it just got so hard. Watching everything I say so I didn't slip up. Not... not pushing things too far when we goofed around. Every time I was around you became a constant battle, and just being around you ruined everyone else for me, because no one ever made me feel the way you did." Demi admitted quietly, tears in her eyes.

"Dems." Selena said softly.

"I'm not done!" Demi yelled, startling Selena, "What's wrong Sel? I thought you wanted the truth? Well here it is... I love you. I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since we were seven. And just so we're clear, yes, I'm gay."

More silence as Demi took a deep breath.

"Wow... huh... I've never said that out loud before. I'm gay. It actually feels kind of good to finally say it." Demi said, "So, where was I... oh yeah, ha, I'm in love with you. I tried just being your friend but I couldn't do it, I couldn't be so close to you but not have you. So I figured I could either tell you how I feel, you could break my heart and then things would never be the same between us or I could push you away. So, I pushed you away... and I tried getting over you... but I just... couldn't."

Tears began to run down Demi's face like a river as Selena continued to say nothing.

"So... so do me a favour..." Demi requested, forcing herself to speak clearly and not to blubber, "Don't say it's ok. Don't tell me we can still be friends. Tell me I disgust you. Tell me you think I'm a pervert. Tell me to burn in hell. Make sure I finally get it through my thick head that you'll never love me. Don't just break my heart, tear it out and stomp on it. Maybe then I'll finally be able to move on. Just please, please don't be nice about this, because if you do I'm never going to be able to get over you."

There was an even longer pause than usual, minutes ticking by as the two girls just stared at each other.

"We were never just friends Dem." Selena said softly.

Demi lowered her head, a fresh tear running down her cheek as she tried to prepare herself for what she had been most dreading her entire life.

At that moment there was a whirl and then the elevator started to move.

In the blink of an eye Selena was standing in front of Demi, lifting her chin-up so she could look into her eyes.

"We were never just friends." Selena repeated.

The words echoed in Demi's mind for a second. Selena couldn't possibly...

Then Selena's lips were pressed against Demi's and it was everything both girls imagined it would be. In reality it didn't last more than 5 seconds but it felt so much longer to them.

As the elevator reached its destination Selena broke the kiss, took a second to wipe away Demi's tears, and then stepped a safe distance away from the other girl before the doors started to open. That didn't leave much time for Demi to clean herself up, but luckily no one seemed to mention it looked like she had been crying, the first onlookers concluding she must have been simply worried for her own safety while people who saw her later on would have never known that she had been crying considering how happy she seemed. Some even noted she seemed happier than before the elevator malfunction, but no one who noticed asked her why, and no one noticed a similar change in the demeanour of Selena Gomez.


End file.
